In the past, this part of the Yucatan Peninsula was a small fishing village, but now, starting from the city of Cancun and extending far to the south, this area has become one of the most popular and dynamic resorts in the western Caribbean.
Riviera Maya offers a great combination of diving, exotic culture, shopping, and adventure. This region is a real legend for divers.
Near the bustling resorts, there are excellent diving sites, including shipwrecks and reefs teeming with marine life. Whether it’s a vibrant nightlife and great diving, or quiet beaches and… great diving.
You’ll find everything your heart desires in the Riviera Maya.
Diving in the Riviera Maya
For sea diving on the Riviera Maya, visibility ranges from 12 meters in winter to 27 meters in summer.
- In winter, the average water temperature is 25-28°C, and in summer 27-29°C.
- The air temperature ranges from 18 to 32°C.
- The rainy season is from May to October, the dry season is from November to April.
- Humidity is highest in May and June, with hurricanes passing through from June to October.
Riviera Maya is home to many hawk turtles, which are often seen by divers. Other native species include eagle rays, moray eels, lobsters, paguars, scarfish, Creole wrasse, flute fish, angelfish, and other species common in the Caribbean.
If you’re lucky, you’ll see the shadows of lemon sharks and nurse sharks, and on some dives, you’ll even be able to spot manatees.
Great diving spots in the Riviera Maya
Punta Cancun is a very popular divers destination with access to several dive sites and spectacular coral reefs.
Located in the eastern part of Cancun’s hotel zone, this reef is home to colorful coral formations where you can swim alongside a wide variety of marine life including barracudas, rays, and sharks.
Punta Nizuk is famous for snorkeling and diving thanks to the offshore reef teeming with marine life. The average depth is 10 meters, and excellent visibility will allow you to see lobsters, groupers, rays, sergeant majors, and other reef inhabitants.
Here, art serves to conserve coral, and divers can admire the statue of a young girl lying in the middle of a coral garden. It belongs to the underwater museum Museo Subacuático de Arte and certainly deserves the closest attention.
Playa del Carmen, Akumal and Tulum. South of Cancun lies Playa del Carmen, a hectic, European-style city. Akumal and Tulum, south of Playa, are sleepy coastal settlements where the past of the Yucatan Peninsula has lingered.
The dive sites here are generally shallow and have excellent visibility; you don’t have to take the boat for more than five minutes. You are sure to meet turtles, barracudas, rays, lobsters, and nurse sharks.
Pared Verde – sections of the high wall here are separated by gentle sandy waterfalls, and on the rocks, you will see an abundance of corals and sponges, teeming with myriads of small invertebrates.
There are depths up to 40 meters, and it is worth considering the current.
The reef, located in the middle of a sandy plain, often attracts large pelagic animals.
